Rebuilding from the Ashes
by chocoluvr
Summary: As Luna prepares to begin her search for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack she is getting over a breakup when she meets the grandson of her mentor. As the two of them become friends their friendship grows into something more over time that helps her heal her broken heart.


August, 1999

The day before Neville and Luna were supposed to leave for Brazil to study plants and animals respectively Neville had come to see Luna. Neville was nervous with what he

had to say to her since he wouldn't be able to go to Brazil after all since his Gran wanted to travel without worrying about his parents. He had already turned down the

opportunity that he had been eager to start studying plant life in South America but he had family obligations that would prevent him from staying in areas that would

be hard for him to be contacted if the need arises. He had put off telling Luna about his decision because he didn't want her to give up the opportunity for her to study

animals in a foreign country and even get started on her hunt for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack. She didn't have the same family obligations that he had in being a caregiver

for a loved one since her father seemed to be in perfect health though a little bit odd at times. Neville knew that he had put off until the last minute what he

had to tell her though he did not want her to change her plans because of him and put aside her dreams as he had to do.

When Luna came into the Leaky Cauldron she looked around until she saw Neville and joined him at his table. He didn't look too excited to see her but he seemed to be

worried about something.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked sounding concerned.

"It's that I won't be able to go with you to Brazil tomorrow. I have already sent in my notice withdrawing from the program a while ago."

"Why, I thought that you were excited to go so that you could study herbology more in depth plus we

would be there together while I started studying magizoology and get started on my search for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack." Luna replied sounding puzzled.

"My Gran is getting on in years and she wants to be able to travel to visit with her friends and family who live abroad so she has turned over the care of my parents to me.

Besides I went over the guardianship paperwork for them and their guardianship falls to me when I became of age." Neville

answered her.

"Then I won't go either, I can stay here with you instead of trying to find the Crumpled Horn Snorkack." Luna replied.

"I won't let you since that is something that you have wanted to do for a very long time. If you stay you will regret it and blame me for not letting you go and follow your

dreams. My grandmother had to give up her plans in order to care for me and resented me for it. She also blamed me for my parents' condition due to some prophecy. I

don't want you to do the same thing." Neville replied.

"There is no way that I could blame you for anything." Luna replied.

"You say that now but you will blame me later on if you do not go on to try to find the Crumpled Horn Snorkack." Neville answered her.

"I will never blame you for anything, besides I can search for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack anytime. Your parents won't live forever and I can look for it after they die." Luna replied.

"It could be a long time for that to happen and then you may be to old to travel to remote areas in the

world for your search." Neville reminded her.

"I don't care about searching for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack if I won't be able to be with you." Luna

told Neville.

"You don't really mean that if we do stay together then eventually you'll regret the fact that you never

even tried looking for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack." Neville answered her.

"'I am willing to give up the search in order to be with you." Luna answered.

"You may mean it now, but that will be something that you will look back on and wonder what if."

Neville told her.

"I can always look for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack anytime but I can be with you now." Luna told him.

"No finding it has always been your dream and if you do not at least try to find it you will regret it maybe

not today, but you will regret it someday and I do not wish to keep you from pursing your dreams."

Neville answered her.

"Do you love me?" Luna asked.

"No, I don't" Neville lied to her sad when he saw her leave knowing that he did what was best for her.

* * *

Luna left quickly returning home where she finished packing and trying to avoid her father since he didn't approve of her dating Neville since he felt that he was a distraction

from their hunt for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack and other strange creatures. He had warned her about getting too close to Neville given his family background and that it

was highly unlikely that he would be able to travel to the remote areas that she would need to in order to perform a through search for the Crumpled Horn

Snorkack. She didn't want to hear her father's warning since Neville had a bunch of elderly relatives who could take charge of his parent's care freeing him up to pursue his

own dreams and goals. She still planned on going to Brazil since the time away can help her to forget about Neville and enable to keep her promise that she made to her

father that she would continue the search for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack. She planned on throwing herself into her studies and search for the Crumpled Horn Snorkack

as a way to get Neville off her mind. Her father didn't need to worry about her giving up her search now since Neville had broken up with her. She retired to bed early

knowing that she had to get up early in order to catch her portkey to Brazil in the morning.

* * *

When Neville returned home from the Leaky Cauldron that evening, he knew that he did the right thing in breaking up with Luna but he was upset by it. His Gran had

supported his decision to stay since the only other family that his parents had were elderly relatives who could need to be cared for by him too.

He knew that he was missing out on a great opportunity but family came first plus he wanted to give his Gran the opportunities that she never had while he was growing up

to travel and to visit with friends from around the world. His Gran was getting on in years and she may not get another opportunity to visit with her friends before they die.

He knew that it would be better if he let Luna pursue her own dreams without her eventually blaming him for not trying to find the Crumpled Horn Snorkack. He felt

that his Gran had blamed him for his parents' condition when he was younger but not realizing why until after the war when she told him about the prophecy that had named

Harry as the Chosen One but that the prophecy could have applied to him too. His Gran had theorized that his parents were singled out for questioning about Voldemort's

whereabouts by a few of his loyal followers because they thought that he was the one who had defeated him and not Harry since he was a pureblood and Harry was a

half-blood wizard. Professor Dumbledore had miscalculated and actually hid Harry from view from the wizarding world right after the death of Harry's parents and the fact

that Harry had defeated Voldemort as a baby was disregarded as a cover up for Harry's death. His Gran after his parent's disappearance wondered if he was a stronger

wizard if Voldemort would have gone after him first instead of Harry. Though she did tell him that when he didn't show any magical ability when he was younger that being a

squib was preferable to the alternative. He could have been an obscurial who had buried his magic deep inside of him due to him watching his own parents be tortured and

being tortured himself. The obscurius would eventually kill him which would have destroyed his grandparents emotionally. That is why when he was younger his grandparents

had tried to get him to show his magical ability not because they were afraid that he was a squib, though in the old days pureblooded family would give their squib

offspring to muggle families to raise and erased their memories of the wizarding world which would have also broken his grandparent's hearts to give him up but at least he

would still be alive. He would stay behind in Great Britain to take charge of his parent's care as repayment for his Gran's raising of him.


End file.
